Big Ten QB Rankings: Julian Sayin Climbs as Dante Moore Faces Jayden Maiava in Week 4

The Big Ten quarterback rankings entering Week 4 set up two head-to-head tests, as Oregon's Dante Moore visits USC's Jayden Maiava and Illinois' Katin Houser visits Ohio State's Julian Sayin on Saturday.

Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover stays at No. 1 after throwing for 273 yards in a 38-0 win over Western Kentucky. Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. returns to the top 8 after a 373-yard game, and Maryland quarterback Malik Washington drops out after a 35-26 loss to Virginia Tech.

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8. Katin Houser, Illinois (Prev: 5)

Big Ten QB Rankings: Julian Sayin Climbs as Dante Moore Faces Jayden Maiava in Week 4 — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: W 48-10 vs. Southern Illinois, 23 of 29 for 305 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Next: at Ohio State, Sat. Sept. 26, 12 p.m. ET

Houser threw for a season-high 305 yards, and both of his touchdown passes went to Collin Dixon less than five minutes apart. Dixon leads all major college receivers with seven touchdown catches. Houser drops three spots because Sayin, Underwood and Williams moved past him, and his next test comes against Sayin's Buckeyes.

7. Dante Moore, Oregon (Prev: 7)

Last week: W 84-0 vs. Portland State, 280 yds, 4 TD
Next: at USC, Sat. Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m. ET

Moore threw four touchdown passes as Oregon took a 49-0 halftime lead, and Dylan Raiola played the second half. The Ducks were missing receiver Jeremiah McClellan and tight end Jamari Johnson. Oregon's 84 points were its most in the modern era, but Moore holds at No. 7 because Portland State has lost seven straight games. Lighting up the scoreboard against a clearly inferior team earns no points.

6. Demond Williams Jr., Washington (Prev: NR)

Big Ten QB Rankings — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: W 48-16 vs. Eastern Washington, 27 of 33 for 373 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Next: vs. Minnesota, Sat. Sept. 26, 11 p.m. ET

Williams threw all four of his touchdown passes in the first half, which tied his career high for a full game. He had thrown only one touchdown pass in his first two games. "Going into this game, it was all about starting fast," Williams said. The Huskies' quarterback has 890 passing yards and five touchdowns this season.

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5. Bryce Underwood, Michigan (Prev: 6)

Last week: W 52-17 vs. UTEP, 19 of 25 for 223 yds, 2 TD
Next: vs. Iowa, Sat. Sept. 26, 3:30 p.m. ET

Underwood threw for a season-high 223 yards as Michigan added more run-pass options and dropback throws to his plan. Seventeen of his 19 completions went to Andrew Marsh and JJ Buchanan, and each caught a touchdown pass. But the sophomore also lost a fumble, and the Wolverines have six turnovers through three games.

4. Rocco Becht, Penn State (Prev: 3)

Last week: W 55-13 vs. Buffalo, 11 of 19 for 212 yds, 2 TD
Next: vs. Wisconsin, Sat. Sept. 26, 5 p.m. ET

Becht needed only 11 completions to reach 212 yards, and one of his two touchdown passes was a 70-yarder to Koby Howard. The win was his 29th as a starter, the most in the FBS. He slips one spot but still has nine touchdown passes and no interceptions this season.

3. Julian Sayin, Ohio State (Prev: 4)

Last week: W 59-3 vs. Kent State, 18 of 22 for 241 yds, 2 TD
Next: vs. Illinois, Sat. Sept. 26, 12 p.m. ET

Sayin completed 82% of his passes one week after a career-low 53% at Texas. He hit Brandon Inniss for a 49-yard Hail Mary touchdown on the last play of the first half. The Buckeyes' passer also spread 10 completions among four receivers not named Jeremiah Smith.

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2. Jayden Maiava, USC (Prev: 2)

Last week: W 42-35 at Rutgers, 20 of 32 for 277 yds, 2 TD
Next: vs. Oregon, Sat. Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m. ET

Maiava played without freshman receiver Trent Mosley, who sat out with a knee injury, so he threw to nine different receivers. His touchdown passes went for 52 yards to Corey Simms and 2 yards to running back Riley Wormley. The Honolulu native has 1,173 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and one interception through four games.

1. Josh Hoover, Indiana (Prev: 1)

Last week: W 38-0 vs. Western Kentucky, 18 of 24 for 273 yds, 2 TD
Next: vs. Northwestern, Fri. Sept. 25, 8 p.m. ET

Hoover threw for a season-high 273 yards, including a 79-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Becker in the third quarter. Indiana led only 7-0 until the last minute of the first half. The TCU transfer has 649 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions through three games.

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Who dropped out of the top 8?

Malik Washington (Maryland)

Washington completed 30 of 43 passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns, but Maryland lost 35-26 to Virginia Tech at home. The loss ended the Terrapins' 20-game nonconference winning streak, which was the longest in the country. Maryland also missed two 2-point tries in the fourth quarter that kept it from pulling within one score.

Just missed

Anthony Colandrea (Nebraska), Nico Iamaleava (UCLA)

Colandrea completed 15 of 21 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score in Nebraska's 34-7 win over North Dakota. Iamaleava threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns, his first touchdown passes of the season, in UCLA's 52-38 win over Purdue. He also ran for 55 yards.

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